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Over 40bn/- needed to implement EMA Support programme
2008-02-06 09:14:44
By Austin Beyadi
The Permanent Secretary in the Vice President`s Office, Ruth Mollel, has said the government needs more than 40bn/- to finance the implementation programme of the Environmental Management Act (EMA) over a period of five years.
The implementation support programme was prepared to improve environmental management coordination at national level and to enhance effectiveness of environmental mandates by the national and local government institutions.
Speaking during the launching workshop of the Environmental Management Act Implementation Support Programme (EMA ISP) in Bagamoyo yesterday, Mollel said that EMA was enacted in order to improve coordination of environmental management in the country.
She said that the environmental Management Act was also enacted with a view to address the key environmental challenges identified in the national Environment policy of 1997 within an agreed institutional and legal framework.
Mollel said that the government has made significant efforts towards improving environmental management in the country and that some of the key achievements include the formulation of the first national environment policy in 1997, the enactment of EMA in 2004 and the development of implementation regulations and standards for environmental management.
She further said that the government has ensured that key environmental targets and indicators are included in its medium term planning and expenditure framework.
However, Lars Mikkel, counselor for development in the Danish Embassy, said that all the development partners see the Environmental Management Act as extremely important for the development of the country.
He said that it is also particularly important to incorporate environmental issues into all activities done at national and local level.
Mikkel further said that with the importance of the EMA, it was important that the Act be also among the key issues to be highlighted by the East African Community.
The Director of Environment in the Vice President`s Office, Erick Mugurusi said that the Danish embassy had provided 6bn/- for the starting of the programme.
He said that while efforts are aimed at supporting the EMA implementation, a comprehensive implementation plan is needed to ensure that the Act was implemented in full and by all responsible institutions and actors.
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